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Learn & WatchOur content is meticulously curated through independent research, testing, reviews, and AI-driven recommendations, all designed to present you with the finest product choices. When you make a purchase through our links, it could result in us earning a commission.The Best Diet Cookbook of 2024
Last updated: 5 Jul 2024Our Top Picks For Diet Cookbook
- Best Overall : The Complete Renal Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Keto First-Timers: The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners Shop Now ➔
- Best Easy Meal Plans: Kathy Birkett RDN LD Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Slow Cooker: Madeline Given NC Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best Low-Carb Diet Recipe: Mollie Tunitsky Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Diverticular Disease: Karyn Sunohara RD Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best For Beginners: The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners Shop Now ➔
- Best for Diabetics: Diabetic Cookbook and Meal Plan for the Newly Diagnosed Shop Now ➔
- Best For Keto Diet: The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook Shop Now ➔
- Best for Anti-inflammatory Diets: Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep Shop Now ➔
View all ContentsThe Best Diet Cookbook
Best Overall
Renal health is crucial for the vital functions of your body to run smoothly. Chronic kidney disease is a serious disease that requires rigorous treatment to prevent advancement to higher stages of kidney damage. Part of the treatment is a concrete diet plan to maintain renal health. “The Complete Renal Diet Cookbook” by Emily Campbell can be of excellent assistance.
Emily Campbell holds a Master of Science in food and nutrition and is a certified diabetes educator and dietician who has impeccably organized this cookbook to serve anyone suffering from kidney disease. This cookbook contains vital information about kidney disease and its five stages, meal plans specific to each stage that can be customized for comorbidities such as diabetes, and offers detailed nutritional information for each meal. This choice is at the top of this list because of its delicious recipes and healthy ingredients.
Pros
- Written by a certified diabetes educator
- Educates thoroughly about kidney disease
- The recipes are customizable
- Includes nutritional information
Cons
- Some inconsistencies in measurements
Best for Keto First-Timers
A keto diet is difficult to learn and implement, but with this option, it will be simple to start and maintain. This package includes everything you need for a surprisingly simple keto diet, such as nutritious meals, grocery lists, support, and various dietary recipes. It is an excellent option for those who want to lose weight or improve their health.
This book provides an overview of the ketogenic diet’s fundamentals and helpful charts demonstrating dietary data to assist you in quickly mastering keto cooking. It also includes over 70 easy-to-follow recipes and a 14-day meal plan for lunches, dinners, and breakfast.
Pros
- Plenty of options
- Includes a two-week meal plan
- Provides tips for the best ingredients
Cons
- It does not contain advanced recipes
Best Easy Meal Plans
The Kathy Birkett Diet Cookbook contains four weeks’ worth of delicious recipes for people wanting to eat healthier. The meals are incredibly easy to prepare and incorporate everything from proteins to carbs, healthy fats, and fiber, promoting optimal digestive and heart health.
With their balanced eating approach, these recipes deliver sufficient nutrition to your daily meals. All recipes are detailed with illustrations, providing a complete look at your finished product, and the book contains bonus recipes for those who love to cook.Pros
- This book is made for people who want better heart health
- Delivers balanced recipes packed with nutrition
- Features detailed recipes for better understanding
Cons
- Not many options for people on keto
Best for Slow Cooker
The Madeline Given NC is made for individuals who fight inflammation and lack the time and health to cook in a hot kitchen. These dishes can be created in a small cooker or an instant pot that releases maximum flavors, making your diet healthy and loaded with nutrients.
Not a fan of meal prep? No worries. These recipes do not require a lot of tiring meal prep and can be put on heat for cooking instantly. Plus, this meal ensures a satisfying experience without any stomach ache if you have indigestion or food flare-ups. It also includes labels indicating allergens so people on specific diets can maintain their health without getting sick.
Pros
- Contains labels mentioning significant allergies
- Diet is flavorful and loaded with nutrients
- Easy to cook and prep
Cons
- Some recipes may take longer than mentioned
Best Low-Carb Diet Recipe
The Mollie Tunitsky Diet Cookbook is explicitly assembled for people trying to restore their momentum and return to a healthy routine. It is a low-carb diet recipe book that helps you reduce stomach and face bloating in a couple of days, so you feel healthy and active. The recipes are easy to understand and make, so you do not have to go through the challenge of complex meal preparation.
It comes with plenty of recipes, enabling you to create a weekly plan of your liking. The book contains essential information related to nutrition in food and dietary needs. This book helps you quit junk food and live a healthy lifestyle.
Pros
- Comes with recipes for different diets
- Helps you maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Recipes offer IBS relief
Cons
- Does not feature a long-term diet plan
Best for Diverticular Disease
The Karyn Sunohara RD Diet Cookbook is for people suffering from diverticular diseases. It includes recipes to cope with your symptoms and soothe any pain or inflammation. All the recipes in this book are created with scientific guidance, so you can improve your knowledge about managing the disease. Additionally, you get information about this health condition and its relation to food. This cookbook covers a complete weekly diet plan from breakfast to lunch and dinner, providing enough content to stay hooked.
Don’t know what to drink? This book also has different beverage recipes that are refreshing and help ease and eliminate the symptoms of diverticular disease.
Pros
- Includes recipes for food and beverages
- Comes with all the information related to diverticulitis
- Soothes pain and inflammation
Cons
- Only caters to people with diverticular disease
Best For Beginners
Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can cause chronic pain. Apart from medical treatment, maintaining a health diet consisting of fresh, anti-inflammatory foods can significantly reduce unpleasant symptoms. You don’t have to be a professional chef to ensure your meals are as delicious.
“The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet For Beginners” is perfect for novice cooks, providing beginner-friendly, easy-to-follow recipes. The book is authored by Lulu Cook, a registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in anti-inflammatory diets. Mainly using just five, readily available ingredients, this cookbook kick starts your diet with simple two-week plans. With kitchen hacks and tricks on utilizing leftovers, it’s the perfect book for beginners.Pros
- Written by a registered dietitian nutritionist
- Uses mainly five ingredients
- Simple two-week plans
Cons
- Some inflammatory ingredients used
Best for Diabetics
Getting diagnosed with type-2 diabetes can be nerve-wracking for most. To avoid relying on insulin to control blood sugar levels, most people opt for a lifestyle change that includes a transformation of their diet. And to serve this purpose, this list brings you the “Diabetic Cookbook and Meal Plan for the Newly Diagnosed”, authored by the nationally acclaimed Lori Zanini. Lari Zanini is an award-winning nutrition expert who has been featured on critically-recognized platforms such as Healthline, Forbes, and CNN, amongst others. The cookbook includes nourishing recipes that are not as restricting as you might imagine. There are even delicious cheese swirl brownies. With a total of more than a hundred recipes with nutritional information, it also includes transparent labels and science-backed answers to common questions. A balanced combination of recipes written by a reputable author makes this cookbook indispensable.
Pros
- Written by award-winning nutrition expert
- Month-long meal plans
- More than 100 recipes
- Nutritional information and labels included
Cons
- Based only on American cuisine
Best For Keto Diet
The keto diet has been all the rage for some years now, gaining popularity for aiding in a drastic drop in weight. Switching your body’s metabolism from carbohydrates to fats is no easy feat, but “The Easy 5-Ingredient Ketogenic Diet Cookbook” by blogger Jen Fisch is here to guide you. The cookbook introduces the reader to the keto diet and how it works before easing into delectable, easy-to-make recipes.
Most of the recipes are prepared using five ingredients readily available at your nearest grocery store. You can also substitute certain ingredients to customize recipes to your taste and goals and create masterpieces in under thirty minutes.Pros
- Teaches you about the keto diet
- Five-ingredient, easy-to-make recipes
- The recipes can be customized
Cons
- Some recipes require special ingredients
Best for Anti-inflammatory Diets
Sometimes, lifestyle changes including dietary adaptations work wonders in keeping auto-immune diseases and other inflammatory diseases under control. The “Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep” cookbook is going to be a big help during this journey. With more than eighty recipes and six-week meal plans, you will always have your fridge stocked with something delicious to grab and go. It also educates the reader about foods that increase or decrease inflammation for better awareness.
The whole foods approach used in this cookbook is signature to author Ginger Hultin, who is a registered dietician and the owner of two nutrition practices.
Pros
- Incorporates a whole-foods approach
- Educates regarding inflammatory foods
- 80+ recipes and six-week meal plans
Cons
- Meal planning may be monotonous
Finding Your Next Diet Cookbook: A Buyer’s Guide
Why Get a Diet Cookbook?
Starting out with a new diet can be daunting. A cookbook can help you jumpstart the process. A cookbook is especially insightful for novice cooks who do not even have a rudimentary knowledge of cooking. Even if you know your way around the kitchen, preparing meals in accordance with a specific diet can be stressful and limiting. Whether you’re on a weight loss journey or just want to adopt healthier eating habits, a diet cookbook will give you nutritious and delicious options compared to the salads you can make on your own.
Types of Diet Cookbooks
The market is full of recipe books catering to different diets. Whether you’re on a weight loss journey, improving overall wellness, or just want to become more skilled in the kitchen, there’s a cookbook out there for you. Some are specific to vegetarian or vegan lifestyles, offering recipes without meat and animal products. Others are made for specific health conditions, restricting certain ingredients such as sodium, fats, and refined carbohydrates. For example, a cookbook for people with diabetes will limit sugars, processed meats, and fats.
Important Factors to Consider Before Buying
Source
Even though you can buy regular cookbooks authored by bloggers and influencers, it is crucial that diet cookbooks are written by physicians, nutritionists, and experts in their respective fields. Misguided recipes and advisory information can be detrimental when it comes to your health. Read about the author and ensure they have adequate credentials and experience.
Realistic approach
You must avoid cookbooks advertising fad diets and quick fixes at all costs. Restrictive eating can cause you to miss out on important nutrients necessary for the nourishment of your body. In the context of weight loss diets, go for cookbooks that gradually encourage weight loss with balanced meals. Sustainable weight loss is the key to a healthy body and mind.
Claim and philosophy
Cookbooks that make far-fetched claims rarely ever deliver on said claims. It is recommended to go for cookbooks that incorporate science-backed recipes and hacks and educate the reader with facts.
When it comes to philosophy, most people do not pay attention to it. After skipping the all-important preamble of a cookbook where an author discusses his/her philosophy, we are disappointed when the recipes and meal plans disappoint us. Try to find a diet cookbook that espouses a mantra that you agree with.
Health goals
Some people opt for a plant-based diet to lose weight, while others go for the high-fat ketogenic diet to shed off some extra pounds. Some are under medical restrictions to follow a certain diet. As individual goals differ, so should diet cookbooks in accordance with these goals.
Customer reviews
Customer reviews are a gold mine. You can find anything and everything you need to know about a cookbook by simply going through reviews and comments from customers who have already tested and tried the recipes in the cookbook.
Features of a Diet Cookbook
Ingredients
The ingredient list of a cookbook must be in accordance with the diet plan it claims to offer. For example, a cookbook for heart health must avoid recipes with high sodium and fat content, and a keto diet cookbook must not include carbohydrates as the star of any recipe. It is also important to note what type of ingredients are featured in the recipe book. For example, cookbooks for bodybuilding may incorporate specialty ingredients like protein powders and expensive cooking oils, which you may not have readily available.
A good cookbook makes use of easily-available ingredients, preferably whole foods in its recipes.Meal plans
Meal planning is imperative in portion control and the preparedness with which you enter the kitchen to cook. A cookbook must have clearly defined ingredient lists and at least two-week meal plans so you do not have to make stops at the grocery store too often. Meal planning in a cookbook also pertains to budgeting and saving money where it’s possible, by substituting ingredients and making meals in batches for greater efficiency.
Workout plans
Workout plans are one feature lacking in most cookbooks. And while you might associate workout plans with only weight loss cookbooks, that is not entirely true. Cookbooks for medical conditions such as diabetes may also include workout plans. Included workout plans can help you on your holistic wellness journey, as exercise is just as important as diet for a healthy weight.
People Also Asked
Are diet cookbooks effective in helping to lose weight?
Your diet plays a major role in losing weight sustainably. So yes, the right diet cookbook can help you lose weight. However, the cookbook must not endorse unhealthy methods of losing weight. You must also incorporate physical activity and a generally healthy lifestyle to achieve healthy weight loss.
Is a plant-based diet good for your body?
Contrary to popular belief, plant-based diets can meet all your nutritional requirements. A varied combination of the right ingredients can offer you plenty of fiber, proteins, and healthy fats.
How much should I invest in a diet cookbook?
Even though cookbooks can cost as low as $5 and as high as $50, we suggest you go for something priced in the middle somewhere. A $15 to $30 diet cookbook will generally be written by a reputable author and will be adequate to serve your needs.
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